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Janvic Mateo - The Philippine Star
March 1, 2026 | 12:00am
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convened the second day for the confirmation of charges hearing for former president Rodrigo Duterte on February 24, 2026.
YouTube / ICC
MANILA, Philippines — Almost a year since former president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the lawyers representing the victims believe there are no changes in circumstances that would warrant his release from detention.
At a separate hearing on the annual review of Duterte’s detention Friday night (Manila time), senior trial lawyer Julian Nicholls cited the waiver signed by the former president requesting to skip his confirmation of charges hearing.
“In that waiver he said, ‘I do not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.’ He said that he was forcibly pushed into a jet and renditioned to the Hague. He refers to his arrest as a kidnapping,” Nicholls said.
“None of which sounds as though those are the words of a person who would return voluntarily to the court,” he added.
He also cited Duterte’s refusal to appear in the confirmation hearing even through video link.
“That means if he was granted interim release… it would have been very difficult to make that happen if he simply showed the same disrespect and did not wish to attend even through video link,” Nicholls added.
Joel Butuyan, one of the two Filipino lawyers appointed as common legal representative of the victims, also urged the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I to keep Duterte in detention.
He cited efforts of Duterte’s family and supporters to bring him back to the Philippines through petitions filed before the Supreme Court.
“If Mr. Duterte cannot even hide his contempt for this honorable court while he is already under detention, imagine how Mr. Duterte will use this contempt for the court if he is released,” he said.
“Mr. Duterte has telegraphed his intention to escape from this honorable court’s jurisdiction if he is released from detention. Consequently, your honors, he remains a flight risk if he is released from detention,” he added.
During the hearing, defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman did not make an opposition to the continued detention of his client, citing a pending appeal on interim release filed before the ICC Appeals Chamber.
